Characteristics:Skating:
A solid skater with a smooth stride, Rubtsov is very agile and skates very well. Skating-wise, just like many Russian players, he is ready for pro hockey and can only improve. He also has good stamina and uses his good movements to be useful to his team through all zones. Grade: 60.

Shooting:Considering that he is first and foremost a center, Rubtsov has a good shot, especially if he has a little bit of space while close to the crease. His shot is not his first weapon, nor his first choice, but he can finish his chances. Grade: 50

Puck skills:
Definitely one of the best set of hands of the draft, Rubtsov is a player with excellent puck skills, from stickhandling to passing to shooting he is a very technically-sound player who likes to play the puck. He is certainly a potential offensive threat at the NHL level. Usually doesn’t lose the puck; if in trouble he seeks for a good solution without panicking. Grade: 65

Smarts:A very intelligent player with a high-level sense of hockey and understanding of the game. He is a 200-foot player who is good in all three zones, although not a specialist in his own zone. He can be a very useful player in special teams situations, but he has to work if he wants to become a PK player at the NHL level. He can cover pass lines and be an active forechecker and backchecker, even if his best weapons are his offensive qualities, especially his great vision and smooth hands. Has to improve on the faceoff dots. Grade: 65

Physicality:
Not a big player, Rubtsov can play bigger than his size, but is of course not a physical player, even if he doesn’t shy away from physical contact. In the own zone he can use his great understanding of the gameflow and his positioning skills to be effective, but not so much through his body. He has time to bulk up and this shouldn’t be too much of an issue once he turns pro. Grade: 45

General assessment:
Rubtsov is first-round material, a player with excellent hockey sense and puck skills, who has to work on some areas (physical play, faceoffs, overall defensive play), but that has all the tools to become a prolific player even at the NHL level. His smarts will allow him to overcome his small size issues.

Characteristics:Skating:
A fast skater with great acceleration and top speed, Kayumov is a gifted skater, but must improve his stability, especially considering his size. Has great agility and can move freely with or without the puck, but doesn’t have too much balance and his size is a little bit of an issue here during collisions. Grade: 55

Shooting:Kayumov has a very good shot with a fast release. Particularly, he shines with a solid wristshot, which he can use from all around the crease to put pressure on the opposition goalies. Has a lot of accuracy in his attempts, while he may lack some power on his slapshot. He also has a good eye for shooting decisions. Grade: 60

Puck skills:
Soft hands and good vision usually combine for good puck skills and Kayumov is not an exception here. He can bring the puck forward at high speed and can take opposition players one on one. A good puckhandler, he can exhibit some fancy moves and can play an appealing style. However, at this point it’s hard to predict how this will turn out in pro hockey. Grade: 55

Smarts:Kayumov is primarly an offensive player, and he doesn’t commit too much to the defensive side as he likes to have and play the puck. A bit of a one-dimensional player, he needs to work on defensive play, awareness, and movements. Has very good offensive instincts, but he has to commit more on defense while he racks up hockey experience. Grade: 50

Physicality:
Kayumov is a small player and isn’t a physical at all. He will have to bulk up a lot if he intends to play in North America, but in any case he’s not physically ready for pro hockey. Grade: 40

General assessment:
Kayumov is an offensive dynamo with a good shot and who can skate very well. However, it’s still to be seen if his good production is more tied with his individual qualities or to his linemates (namely German Rubtsov). His offensive quality may get him some interest by NHL teams, but at this point he’s a long shot to make the NHL.

Characteristics:Skating:
A decent skater with good mobility for his size and good balance even if challenged. Maltsev is a player with good size, but that doesn’t impede him from skating very well with a smooth stride and good agility. Grade: 55

Shooting:Maltsev won’t be considered to have an Ovechkin-like shot, but he can shoot the puck at the net and give it some good power. He’s more likely to score with tip-ins, but isn’t scared to shoot as well. Grade: 50

Puck skills:
Maltsev is gifted with some good hands, although not great. Not the best passer or puckhandler, Maltsev can still contribute in offense as he knows he’s not the most gifted player in the world and tends to play pretty safe. Grade: 50

Smarts:A versatile, all-around player who can play both center and wing, Maltsev is a hard worker who isn’t scared by the dirty moments of play and can go battling in the corners. He can use his size to his advantage, though, and that can be useful at both the ends of the ice. He is also very good on the faceoff dots and works hard both in game and practice. Grade: 55

Physicality:
A player gifted with a good size, Maltsev has a big frame which can help him in many game situation, including up forward, in front of the own crease, or on the faceoff dots. Not a big hitter, but the opposition is going to feel his presence anyway. Grade: 60

General assessment:
Maltsev’s size and high work rate will go a long way for him regarding his future development. He also showed some interesting offensive potential, even if he is not the dynamo that many Russian players are. He has all the tools to become a versatile player at any level of pro hockey, even if he doesn’t have top-end talent.

Characteristics:Skating:
A good skater with good agility and movement, Alexeyev is a very mobile defenseman with good overall skating abilities. He skates well backwards, but lacks a bit of top speed. Good reactivity. Grade: 50

Shooting:Alexeyev likes to shoot the puck, especially on powerplays, but lacks some accuracy. His slapshot is strong and the release isn’t slow, but can use some work in any case. He likes to play on his off side and go for the one-timer. Grade: 55

Puck skills:
He can play and move the puck with a certain proficiency, without being a pure offensive defenseman. He usually plays it safely and doesn’t make many mistakes at either end of the ice, usually he is very good in +/- stats also because of this. Grade: 50

Smarts:Alexeyev has a good hockey IQ and can read the play with good efficiency. He knows how to position himself at both ends, and is hard to get caught off guard. He tries to be offensive in his style, without forgetting his defensive responsibilities. He is also a leader and has served as captain or alternate captain in many occasions, both for his club and national team. Grade: 55

Physicality:
A player with good size and good physical data. Alexeyev likes to finish his checks, but doesn’t exaggerate and usually doesn’t find himself in the wrong spot because he is searching for the big hit. He can be an imposing presence on the own zone, but he needs to further bulk up to translate this kind of play in pro hockey. Grade: 55

General assessment:
An intelligent player with a good two-way game, Alexeyev has some interesting potential, especially considering his size, skating, and defensive play. He has some offensive potential that won’t get overlooked, even if that is not his first quality.

Characteristics:Skating:
A solid skater, won’t get lost against the faster opponents, has enough acceleration to properly defend against the fastest opposition units. Not the greatest skater, but a good one anyway. Good agility and mobility. Grade: 55

Shooting:A good, strong slapshot from the point, but without much accuracy. Yakovenko isn’t afraid to shoot, but has to work on his shot from the point, in particular on its consistency. Grade: 50

Puck skills:
A capable puck-moving defenseman, Yakovenko has good passing and puck-handling skills. He can make accurate passes and can feed his teammates from any position. He can bring the puck forward at good speed. Grade: 55

Smarts:Yakovenko can read the game very well, especially in the offensive zone, and is a good defensive playmaker. He should work a bit on his defensive positioning and consistency. Overall, he is a valuable player mostly for his offensive qualities. Grade: 5

Physicality:
Yakovenko is a small player, who doesn’t really play a physical game. He should bulk up and then use his body more in the defensive zone to be more effective on his own zone. Surely he also needs to increase his mass to better contribute to his team. Grade: 45

General assessment:
A good offensive player, however his progress didn’t go as expected this season. He needs to work a lot on his defensive game and increase his mass to become a more interesting prospect, however he is a talented player with good hands and vision of the game.

Characteristics:Skating:
A fast skater with an excellent agility, first step and top speed. Can easily change direction and skate backwards, or brake to make a pause, fool the defenseman, and then shoot, pass, or keep on skating. Grade: 60

Shooting:A natural goalscorer, Kosorenkov has a very good shot with a fast release. He can also unwind strong one-timers, other than trying to fool the netminder with unpredictable attempts. His wrister is also very accurate and he reminds me a little bit of Nikita Kucherov in that regards. Grade: 60

Puck skills:
Kosorenkov has a good set of hands, and can be a good playmaker too, even if he prefers to score. He is very good in bringing the puck forward and his speed guarantees him a lot of breakaways in junior hockey, of course it will be harder for him to replicate his style of play in pro hockey. He likes to take defensemen one on one and is often successful. Grade: 55

Smarts:Kosorenkov is a one-dimensional player. He usually doesn’t commit a lot in the defensive side of the game, and prefers concentrating on his offensive game. He can deliver good passes, even if he prefers to play the puck himself, but has a good eye for his linemates. Grade: 45

Physicality:
He isn’t a physical player, and isn’t particularly big either, although he can take hits and doesn’t suffer when things get tougher. He will of course have to bulk up to think about playing in North America, but also to play pro hockey in Europe. Grade: 45

General assessment:
A great raw talent with some holes in his game in the defensive side. He also tends to overplay the puck at times, as he still plays too much in a junior hockey style, while he should be focusing a bit more in passing the puck and getting back. That being said, he has great hands and excellent skating abilities, and put in the right situation he can produce on a regular way in any team.